It's not unusual to find ants in your home, and it doesn't mean your house or commercial space is dirty. Sometimes, the location or structure of your property is enough to attract ants. The problem with ants is that they proliferate. By the time you begin spotting them in your home or yard, there could be hundreds. A reliable Nassau County pest control expert can help rid your house of these uninvited guests.
Common Species Of Home-Invading Ants In Nassau County
An ant infestation can be a serious problem or nuisance, depending on the ant species you are dealing with. Here are the common species of home-invading ants in Nassau County.
- Odorous house ants: These ants invade homes and release a foul, rotten coconut smell when they crash. Although they don't sting or cause structural damage, they can contaminate your food.
- Carpenter ants: These black ants bore wood to create nests, resulting in structural damage to the termites. If not eliminated, they can spread quickly.
- Pavement ants: These ants nest in cracks in the pavement. They are docile and less likely to sting unless provoked.
- Pharaoh ants: These are warm-weather ant species, which means they nest indoors outside the tropics. This is unfortunate because these ants spread some diseases, such as strep.
Effective ant control begins with accurately identifying the specific ants that have invaded your house. It's recommended to consult an experienced ant pest control expert to correctly identify them and determine the extent of the infestation.
Ants Can Be More Trouble Than They Seem
Most ant species are just a nuisance. Can they be dangerous? For the most part, having an occasional ant in your home is natural. Insects can easily sneak through an open window or door. However, a sudden invasion doesn't happen randomly. All ants are always looking for food and moisture for their colonies. So if they can find these essentials in your home, they will invade it.
Unfortunately, some ant species, like odorous house ants, can contaminate your food with bacteria. Others, like carpenter ants, can cause structural damage to your home, while fire ants can inflict a painful sting.
Ways To Avoid Ant Problems In Your Home
Here are ant prevention tips to keep ants away from your home;
Remove Moisture And Water Source
Ants prefer a humid environment with water droplets. Therefore, you should eliminate all water sources and moisture that could attract ants into your home. So repair all leaky sinks, faulty showerheads, and other causes of unnecessary moisture in your home.
Eliminate Interior Food Sources
When an ant finds food, it leaves a scented trail back to the nest. Other ants can follow this trail into your home. Within a few hours, you could have a huge number of ants in your house. So, clean up your floors, spills, shelves, oven, and dishes, and vacuum your rug. This will eliminate food sources for ants.
Seal Your Home's Exterior
When ants explore your home's exterior, they can easily get through cracks, holes, and gaps. While it's impossible to seal all entry points ants can use to get into your home, you should do your best to seal your home. If you find large numbers of ants in your yard, consider calling an expert in outdoor ant control.
The Experts To Call For Quality Ant Control
Some ant species are so small they can slip around various prevention measures. Also, some ants in Nassau County cannot make it through the freezing withers, so they will figure out a way into homes. Luckily, residential and commercial pest control companies like Parkway Pest Services can implement an effective ant control strategy.